THE NEW JERSEY REGULATED MEDICAL WASTE PROGRAM IS A COMPREHENSIVE MANAGEMENT
SYSTEM THAT PROVIDES FOR THE PROPER AND SAFE TRACKING, ON-SITE CONTROL,
COLLECTION AND DISPOSAL OF MEDICAL WASTES BY USING A SPECIAL TRACKING
FORM TOGETHER WITH SPECIFIC PACKAGING, MARKING, LABELING, REPORTING
AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS.

A comprehensive, cradle-to-grave, regulated medical waste (RMW) management
program was developed by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
(NJDEP) under New Jersey's Comprehensive Regulated Medical Waste Management
Act (N.J.S.A. 13:1E-48 et seq.), with the assistance of the Department
of Health and Senior Services (DHSS). Procedures for the proper processing,
transportation and ultimate disposal of RMW are listed in the New Jersey
Administrative Code, Title 7, Chapter 26, Subchapter 3A, (N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A).
Guidelines for general procedures in other medical situations may be found
in the DHSS Hospital Licensure Manual, Section 306, and; in the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration Instruction (CPL 2-2.44).

The Regulated Medical Waste Fact sheets are a publication of the Division
of Solid and Hazardous Waste (DSHW), Bureau of Resource Recovery and Technical
Programs. These fact sheets are designed only as an information guide,
to be read in conjunction with the New Jersey RMW regulations. All persons
are responsible for compliance with the RMW Regulations at N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A
et seq.

COPIES OF
REGULATIONS &
FORMS

Copies of the New Jersey Comprehensive Regulated Medical Waste Management
Act (N.J.S.A. 13:1E-48.1 et seq.), the New Jersey medical waste regulations
(N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A) are available from the publishing firm West Group,
610 Opperman Drive, PO Box 64526, St. Paul, MN 55164-0526, Telephone -
1-800-808-9378, Fax - 1-800-562-2329. The RMW regulations are found at
pages 26-121 through 26-152. As an alternative to purchasing the regulations
from the publishing firm, access to an unofficial version of the regulations
is made available from the Department's web site at http://www.state.nj.us/dep/dshw/resource/rules.
New Jersey RMW tracking forms, reporting forms and technical assistance
with regulatory interpretations may be obtained from the NJDEP, DSHW,
Bureau of Resource Recovery and Technical Programs, PO Box 414, Trenton,
NJ 08625-0414 or by calling (609) 984-6620 during normal business hours.

WHAT IS
REGULATED
MEDICAL WASTE?
(N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.6)

RMW is defined as any solid waste, generated in the diagnosis,
treatment (e.g., provision of medical services), or immunization of human
beings or animals, in research pertaining thereto, or in the production
or testing of biologicals, that is not excluded or exempted under N.J.A.C.
7:26-3A.6(b) and that is listed or meets any waste characterization criteria
described in the table at N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.6(a). Refer to the rule for
excluded wastes (N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.6(b))."Treated RMW" means
RMW that has been treated to substantially reduce or eliminate its potential
for causing disease, but has not yet been destroyed (N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.5).

"Destroyed RMW" means RMW that is no longer generally
recognizable as RMW because all components of the waste have been ruined,
torn apart, or mutilated to produce unrecognizable and unusable pieces
smaller than three-quarters of an inch, except that all sharps must be
smaller than one-half inch. It does not mean compaction or encapsulation
except through:

1. Processes such as thermal treatment or melting, during which treatment
and destruction occur;
2. Processes such as shredding, grinding, tearing, or breaking, during
which only destruction takes place; or
3. Processes that melt plastics and fully encapsulate metallic or other
sharps in the melted plastic and, in addition, the resulting melted
plastic mass must be completely sealed in a secondary puncture-proof
container that will not be opened or penetrated by undestroyed sharps
in any circumstance of handling.

"Collection facility" means a facility where individual
shipments of packaged, tracked regulated medical waste are assembled
and/or consolidated, or transferred between vehicles, but are not opened
or unpackaged prior to transport off-site for disposal."Destination facility" means the disposal facility
, the incineration facility, or the facility that both treats and destroys
regulated medical waste, to which a consignment of such is intended
to be shipped, specified in Box 8 of the Medical Waste Tracking Form.
The term "destination facility" also means any generator or
facility that treats and destroys its own medical waste.

WHAT IS A
REGULATED
MEDICAL WASTE
TRANSPORTER?
(N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.5)

"Transporter" means a person engaged
in the off-site transportation of RMW by air, rail, highway or water (N.J.A.C.
7:26-3A.5).

"Transfer facility" means any transportation-related facility
including loading docks, parking areas, storage areas and other similar
areas where shipments of RMW are held (come to rest), during the course
of transportation for a period not to exceed 24 hours and are not transferred
to other vehicles during the course of transportation. A transfer facility
is a "transporter". A location at which RMW is transferred directly
between two vehicles is not a transfer facility but is considered a transfer
station and must be permitted as such pursuant to N.J.A.C. 7:26-2.4. (N.J.A.C.
7:26-3A.5)

REGULATED MEDICAL WASTE TRANSPORTER REQUIREMENTS

REGISTRATION
AND FEES(N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.27)

To legally transport RMW in New Jersey a transporter must: (N.J.A.C.
7:26-3A.8) *

1. Register as a RMW transporter N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.8;
2. Register as a solid waste transporter in accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:26-3.2,
pay fees in accordance with N.J.A.C. 7:26-4, and comply with the requirements
of N.J.A.C. 7:26-3.1,3.4,3.7 and 16; and
3. Obtain a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity as required
by N.J.S.A. 48:13A-6.

* Exemptions (N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.17(a))
Generators of less than 3 cubic feet (50 pounds) of RMW per month that
transport only their own RMW to another generator for storage or disposal
are exempt from N.J.A.C. 7:26-3a.16(d) and N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.27(c). The
generator shall meet the following conditions:

1. The RMW is transported by the generator or authorized employee in a
vehicle with a gross weight of less than 8,000 pounds, owned by the generator,
the same operator as the generator at that site or the same operator's
or generator's authorized employee;
2. The original generation point and the storage point or disposal facility
are located in New Jersey; and
3. The generator completes the New Jersey Medical Waste Tracking Form
in accordance with (N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.19).

TRACKING FORM

Transporters may only accept shipments of RMW accompanied by a properly
completed New Jersey Tracking Form from registered generators (N.J.A.C.
7:26-3A.28(b)). See N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.19 for generator tracking form completion
and N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.31 for transporter completion.

Each New Jersey RMW Tracking Form contains 6 copies to be distributed
as follows:

A transporter may choose to consolidate to a single tracking form shipments
of RMW (N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.33(a)). The transporter must maintain a consolidation
log indicating all shipments consolidated on that tracking form (N.J.A.C.
7:26-3A.33(b)4). The transporter's consolidation log must accompany the
tracking form and include all required information (N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.33).

RECORD-KEEPING

A transporter must retain the RMW tracking form for a period of three
years from the date the waste was accepted by the transporter unless the
department specifically requires an additional retention period (N.J.A.C.
7:26-3A.34).

LABELING AND
MARKING

Transporters shall not accept any shipment of RMW from a generator unless
the outer surface of the container is properly labeled and marked in accordance
with N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.14 and 3A.15 (N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.28(a)).

Labeling means each generator must, prior to offering waste for transport
off-site, label each container of untreated RMW with a water-resistant
label affixed to or printed on the outside of the container. The label
shall include the words "Medical Waste" or "Infectious
Waste" or display the universal biohazard symbol. Treated RMW or
red plastic bags used as an inner container are not required to be labeled
(N.J.A.C. 7:260-3A.14(a)1).
Marking means the generator (including intermediate handlers) must mark
the outermost surface of the outer container of RMW prepared for shipment
with a water-resistant identification tag containing the generator's or
intermediate handler's name and address, the transporter's name and NJDEP
solid waste registration number, date of shipment, and identification
of the contents as RMW (N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.15(a)1). Inner containers have
separate marking requirements. See N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.15(A)2.

Note: Transporters, if consolidating loads, are responsible for labeling
and marking all packaging (inner and outer) used to meet pretransport
performance standards. (N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.27)

VEHICLE REQUIREMENTS

Transporters of RMW must use vehicles that meet the following requirements
(N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.30):

1. The vehicle must have a fully enclosed, leak resistant cargo carrying
body;
2. The transporter must ensure that the RMW does not become putrescent
and is not subject to mechanical stress or compaction during loading,
unloading or during transit;
3. The transporter must maintain the cargo-carrying body in good sanitary
condition;
4. The cargo-carrying body must be securely locked if left unattended;
and
5. Vehicles used to transport RMW must have on two sides and the back,
written in letters of at least 3 inches, the transporters name, NJDEP
solid waste transporter registration number, and an imprinted sign or
the words "Medical Waste" or "Infectious Waste".

Note: Solid waste transported with RMW in the same container must be
handled as RMW (N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.30(c) in compliance with N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.27-3A.36).

SPILL PLAN

N.J.A.C. 7:26- 3A.37 requires that transporters develop and implement
a Spill Management Plan to govern the management and decontamination of
regulated medical waste spills and to equip all vehicles transporting
RMW with a Spill Kit to contain the items listed at N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.37(b)1.
In certain cases the Department may allow a modified Spill Kit to be used
if it deems such kit is adequate to contain RMW spills that may occur
specific to the transporter applying for the modification. If such a modified
Spill Kit is warranted, a letter stating so shall be issued by the Department.

REPORTING

A transporter accepting RMW which is generated, stored, transferred,
treated, destroyed, disposed of, or otherwise managed in New Jersey, must
submit a RMW transporter report to the NJDEP describing the source and
disposition of the waste (N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.35).

The transporter reports must be submitted on forms available from the
NJDEP and sent to the NJDEP, DSHW, Bureau of Resource Recovery and Technical
Programs, PO 414, Trenton, NJ 08625-0414.

Transporters must submit annual RMW transporter reports on or before
July 30 of each calendar year covering the period of July 1 through June
30 (N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.35(f)) unless the Department specifically requires
a different date.

RAIL TRANSPORT

See N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.45 for regulatory requirements.

INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORT

See N.J.A.C. 7:26-3A.31(e) and 3A.32 for regulatory requirements for
exportation to a foreign country